This is almost the exact same question as above, but I feel it wasn't answered in layman's terms. I'm still confused after looking at Apples manual.

We are constrained by these factors:

We are in Canada so we can't get B2B

Our corporate client does not want to sign up for Apple's Enterprise

Our app holds confidential information (no itunes)

> 100 employees are expected to use the app

Our client expects to be able to download the app without shipping their hardware to us

So then, has anyone done this? The Enterprise SDK is for in-house only (as per terms of the legal agreement), but how would anyone know the difference? If we post our .ipa and manifest file and help our client with the provisioning, what are some "got-chaya" we should watch for? It sounds like Apple just wants to squeeze into corporations and they are forcing this on them, which then makes it harder for developers to sway clients to use Apple!

2 Answers
2

The correct solution is for your client to sign up for Apple Enterprise. The fact that they 'don't want to' is unacceptable. That is the only way this is going to work out without one or both of you breaking a license agreement.

Even if Apple has no way to know if you're distributing outside of your company, you have a responsibility to uphold the license you agreed to.

It's hard to tell whether or not they enforce the restrictions to the Enterprise Developer Program. So far, I've not heard of any such case.

But getting hints would be easy for them, since Enterprise apps need to authenticate frequently with an Apple server to make sure the distribution certificate is still valid. So technically they may come to know who installs those apps and may come to the conclusion that in a specific case the terms of use for the Enterprise Developer Program have been violated.

If I were you I'd stick to those terms - even if you don't care about laws and morality and stuff just consider this: What if you provide your client with your app using the EDP and Apple shuts it down? I can't think of a more embarrassing situation.

That being said I do sympathize with your situation, because I was facing it too, just two months ago. So I know how painful it is to explain to your client that you can't do what they want because Apple does not allow it in their terms of use. I lost that job in the end because I couldn't talk them into enrolling themselves.

So if your client is as stubborn as mine has been, there's no solution for you I'm afraid. It won't help you right away, but I'd strongly suggest contacting Apple about it. Maybe they'll do something about it if enough people start complaining...